BRANISLAV IVANOVIC believes that Chelsea and Manchester United will find out just how good they are when they meet at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Manchester United have set off like a train so far, with four straight league wins, including an 8-2 thrashing of Arsenal, while Chelsea have won their last three games and continued their improvement under Andre Villas-Boas with a Champions League victory on Tuesday night.

But Branislav Ivanovic is adamant that bright starts mean little, pointing to Chelsea opening last season’s campaign with two 6-0 victories – and ending up winning nothing.

Chelsea’s challenge under Carlo Ancelotti last term foundered at Old Trafford on two fronts – a Champions League quarter-final defeat by United and then, in May, a 2-1 league loss to the eventual champions.

Whether Chelsea are stronger now as a result of those experiences and the new blood that Villas-Boas has brought in, Ivanovic believes we will find out on Sunday. He said: “That is the first big test for our team and how we have improved.

We have to be more motivated. United have improved, but we will see what happens.

Branislav Ivanovic

“We have to take a good message from these two games from last season. We have to be more motivated. United have improved, but we will see what happens.

“Psychologically – for both teams – it’s a very important game, there are not just three points at stake. Every tackle, every pass – everything – you feel directly how strong your opponent’s performance is.”

Wayne Rooney, who has so far scored eight goals in five domestic games, is in riotous form for United and Chelsea will remember only too well how it was his key goal in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge in April which began their downfall.

Ivanovic said: “Rooney is putting in some great performances and is scoring a lot of goals. We have to try to stop him. United have started very well but, if you